What Wendella Sightseeing does

Wendella Sightseeing (DBA Wendella Boats) is a Chicago-based, family-owned boat tour and cruise operator founded in 1935 by Swedish immigrant Bo Albert Borgstrom and continuously controlled by the Borgstrom family across generations, currently under President Michael Borgstrom. The company operates a fleet of custom-built double-deck passenger vessels — including the MV Wendella (100-250 passengers) and MV Ouilmette (40-90 passengers), custom-built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin — out of docks at the DuSable Bridge on the Chicago River. Its product portfolio centers on the trademarked "Chicago's Original Architecture Tour," launched in 1958, alongside 45-minute and Lake & River architecture variants, sunset cruises, fireworks cruises (lake and river), a Wine & Cheese Cruise, and seasonal holiday cruises (St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, Holiday, New Year's Eve). Every vessel is climate-controlled with open-air upper decks, full-service bars, restrooms, and ADA accommodations.

The business model is direct-to-consumer ticketing (adult tickets $28-$70) sold primarily through a Shopify-powered website, supplemented by phone reservations, an in-person ticket office at the dock, and listings on TripAdvisor and Viator. A secondary charter/events revenue stream serves corporate and private parties (40-250 guests) with onboard catering from a network of recommended Chicago restaurants and a Wendella-exclusive craft beer from Hop Butcher. Additional revenue accrues from onboard food and beverage sales. The company also operates Chicago Water Taxi as a sister brand offering commuter water transportation on the Chicago River.

Marketing leans on earned media through review platforms (4.88/5 across 11,035+ reviews, TripAdvisor "Best Boat Tour," Viator Experience Award) and official sports partnerships with the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Fire FC, and Northwestern Wildcats. Distribution is concentrated in a single geography (Chicago), and the company has invested in sustainability infrastructure — including co-founding the Passenger Vessel Association's Green Waters Program (2016), founding the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, voluntarily cutting 300+ tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually (2016-2021), and installing a Seabin/Trash Trap at Michigan Avenue dock — as both regulatory leadership and brand differentiation. The company employs 101-250 people and has remained private throughout its 90-year history with no external investors or parent company.

Name

Wendella Sightseeing

Legal name

Wendella Boats

Website

https://wendellaboats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wendella Sightseeing is a family-owned Chicago boat tour operator founded in 1935, offering guided architecture cruises, sunset, fireworks, and specialty tours along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan for tourists, locals, families, and corporate/private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism and Sightseeing Cruises

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theme & Specialty River Cruises (Culinary/Wellness/Music/etc.) (THAEACAL), River Cruise Charters (Private/Group) (THAEACAE), Specialty-Themed Private Cruises (Wellness, Diving, Culinary, etc.) (THAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Architecture boat tours
• River sightseeing cruises
• Private event charters
• Guided boat tours
• Chicago tourism experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Architecture Tour Tickets: Revenue from selling tickets to guided Chicago River and Lake Michigan architecture boat tours. Ticket prices vary by tour duration: 90-minute tours ($45 adult), 45-minute tours ($28 adult), with child pricing available.
2. Cruise Tickets: Revenue from specialty cruises including sunset cruises, fireworks cruises, wine & cheese cruises, and holiday-themed cruises. Wine & Cheese Cruise priced at $70 per adult (21+), fireworks cruises at $55 adult.
3. Private Events & Charters: Revenue from hosting private events, corporate outings, birthday parties, and custom charters on Wendella or Ouilmette vessels. Includes custom route planning, catering coordination, and premium beverage packages.
4. Onboard Food & Beverage: Revenue from onboard sales including snacks (Garrett Popcorn, Kit Kat, pretzels, chips), full bar with beer, wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages. Features exclusive Hop Butcher 'Da Boats' Hazy IPA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wendella Sightseeing operates guided boat tours and specialty cruises on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan using a fleet of custom-built double-deck vessels. Its core offerings are narrated architecture tours covering 50+ Chicago landmarks and themed cruises (sunset, fireworks, wine & cheese, holiday), supplemented by private event charters and a sister Chicago Water Taxi commuter service.

Product overview

Wendella Sightseeing operates a fleet of custom-built double-deck boats offering guided Chicago architecture tours and specialty cruises on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The company's product portfolio consists of three core architecture tour products (90-minute Chicago River, 45-minute Chicago River, and 90-minute Lake & River tours) providing guided experiences with local storytellers covering 50+ architectural icons. The cruise offerings include sunset cruises, fireworks cruises (lake and river variants), and the Wine & Cheese Cruise featuring curated local wine and cheese pairings. Seasonal holiday cruises cover St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Holiday, and New Year's Eve events. The company also operates Chicago Water Taxi as a separate branded transit service and offers private event charters on its Wendella-class (100-250 passengers) and Ouilmette-class (40-90 passengers) vessels with catering from Chicago restaurants. All vessels feature climate-controlled interiors, double decks, full-service bars with locally brewed beer, and accessibility accommodations including wheelchair ramps and ADA-compliant restrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chicago Water Taxi: Public water taxi service connecting downtown Chicago locations including Ogilvie/Union Station to Michigan Avenue stop.

Products and services

• 90 Minute Chicago River Architecture Tour Wendella's signature architecture boat tour cruising all three branches of the Chicago River from Goose Island to Chinatown, featuring guided commentary on 50+ architectural icons including the Wrigley Building, Willis Tower, Tribune Tower, and Marina City. Adult: $45.00; Child (4-12): $20.00; Under 4: Free but ticket required.
• 45 Minute Chicago River Architecture Tour A condensed family-friendly narrated architecture tour covering the city's most iconic buildings from the Chicago River, ideal for visitors on a tighter schedule. Adult: $28.00; Child (4-12): $14.00; Under 4: Free but ticket required.
• Lake & River Architecture Tour The original Wendella tour combining Chicago River architecture with Lake Michigan views via the Chicago Lock, offering close-up skyscraper views followed by panoramic lake perspectives over 90 minutes. Adult: $45.00; Child (4-12): $20.00; Under 4: Free but ticket required.
• Chicago Sunset Cruise A 90-minute cruise featuring iconic landmarks along the Chicago River, transitioning through the Chicago Lock to Lake Michigan for golden hour skyline views with twinkling lights. Adult: $45.00; Child (4-12): $20.00.
• Wine & Cheese Cruise A 2-hour adults-only cruise along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan featuring curated local wines and cheeses, with open-air and climate-controlled seating options. $70 per adult, includes curated wine and cheese pairings.
• Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise A 2-2.5 hour cruise providing unobstructed 360-degree views of Navy Pier fireworks from Lake Michigan, with views of architectural gems along the Chicago River. Adults 13+: $55; Kids 4-12: $25; Kids under 4: Free.
• Chicago River Fireworks Cruise A 45-minute cruise along the Chicago River offering views of Navy Pier fireworks reflecting off the water from a different angle than the lake cruise.
• St. Patrick's Day Cruise (21+) An adults-only cruise featuring three drink tickets and front-row views of the world-famous Chicago River dyeing, with festive music during a 2-hour river cruise.
• St. Patrick's Day Kids Cruise A family-friendly 90-minute cruise offering front-row views of the Chicago River dyeing with interactive fun, Irish music, and juice boxes for children.
• 4th of July Fireworks Cruise

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.88/5 rating based on 11,035+ reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Waters Program (Passenger Vessel Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Wendella President Michael Borgstrom co-founded the Passenger Vessel Association's Green Waters Program, which helps passenger vessels across North America run cleaner, greener operations. This is a gold-standard sustainability initiative that Wendella helped establish.
• Chicago Harbor Safety CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1935Wendella founded and leads the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, which raises safety standards for all vessels operating on the Chicago River. Wendella sets the industry standard for safety.
• Friends of the Chicago RivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Chicago River Cleanup Day every May. Wendella donates boats and crew to support cleanup efforts at 75+ sites citywide. Wendella also installed Chicago River's first Trash Trap and Seabin.
• Shriners Children's ChicagominorOthersBob Day: Annual fundraiser where 25% of tour sales are donated to Shriners Children's Chicago in memory of former CEO Bob Borgstrom, a longtime Shriner.
• National Ovarian Cancer CoalitionminorOthersLila Day: Annual Teal Lights Cruise honoring Wendella matriarch Lila Borgstrom, with proceeds donated to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Over 20 Chicago landmarks light up in teal.
• Chicago Schools and NonprofitsminorOthersWendella donates hundreds of tickets annually to schools, nonprofits, and local fundraisers across Chicago for various causes and organizations.
• Chicago Water TaxicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing public transportation on the Chicago River. Chicago Water Taxi is also operated by the Borgstrom family and is part of the same corporate entity, providing commuters an alternative to cars (offset equivalent of 8,000 buses/20,000 cars in 2024).
• Blue Plate CateringminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier Chicago caterer recommended for private events on Wendella boats. Delivers chef-crafted menus with seasonal ingredients and seamless service.
• Lou Malnati'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIconic Chicago deep-dish pizza caterer recommended for private events. Family-owned joint famous for scratch-made, saucy deep-dish.
• Harry Caray's Italian SteakhouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop-tier catering with laid-back lakefront twist. Recommended for private events on Wendella boats.
• Labriola's, Ēma, 4 Star Restaurant Group, Shaw's Crab House, Osteria Via Stato, Blackwood BBQminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional recommended catering partners for private events including Italian (Labriola's, Osteria Via Stato), Mediterranean (Ēma), BBQ (Blackwood), seafood (Shaw's), and multi-restaurant group (4 Star).
• Molly's Cupcakes, Stan's DonutsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended dessert caterers for private events. Molly's Cupcakes offers fresh-daily cupcakes and cheesecakes; Stan's Donuts provides legendary donut options.
• Chicago Fire FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial boat tour partner of Chicago Fire professional soccer team. Mutual marketing partnership.
• Chicago CubsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial boat tour partner of Chicago Cubs professional baseball team. Mutual marketing partnership.
• Northwestern WildcatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial boat tour partner of Northwestern University Wildcats athletics. Mutual marketing partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shoreline Sightseeing: Direct Chicago competitor operating architecture, skyline, and lake sightseeing cruises on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan; competes head-to-head with Wendella for both standard tour tickets and private event charters. Most analogous product overlap in the same geography.
• Chicago's First Lady Cruises: Operates architecture-focused river cruises on the Chicago River — the closest direct substitute product and route to Wendella's signature tour, competing for tour groups, OTAs, and event planners in the same dock ecosystem.
• Mercury Cruises: Chicago-based operator offering Skyline Spirit and other themed lake/river cruises with banquets and group events; competes directly for Chicago corporate events, private charters, and fireworks viewing capacity.
• Seadog Cruises / Speedboat Rides: Operates high-speed sightseeing boat tours and architecture cruises in Chicago, among other cities; competes for tourist-ticket share on the Chicago River with a distinct thrill-boat angle.
• Spirit Cruises: Operates lunch, dinner, and sightseeing cruises from Navy Pier, directly competing for Chicago dinner-cruise and private event charter demand alongside Wendella's premium event offerings.
• Odyssey Cruises: Operates upscale dinner cruises departing from Chicago, serving the same corporate and private event market that Wendella targets with its 100-250 passenger vessels.

Broad incumbents

• City Cruises (City Experiences): Large multi-city cruise and tour operator with branded architecture, dinner, and sightseeing experiences in Chicago and many other cities; competes broadly for the same tour and event customers with greater geographic diversification and marketing scale.

Emerging players

• Chicago Architecture Center Tours: Non-profit foundation offering boat tours of Chicago river architecture with trained docents — directly substitutes for Wendella's most iconic tour with comparable educational content.

Regional players

• BB Riverboats: Operates sightseeing, dinner, and themed cruises on the Ohio River in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky; comparable small-fleet inland-waterway tour operator with similar mixed tour + private event business model in a different geography.
• Gateway Clipper Fleet: Operates sightseeing and dinner cruise fleet out of Pittsburgh on the three rivers; comparable multi-decade, multi-purpose river cruise operator with similar tour, themed-event, and private charter mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wendella Sightseeing